peruse
Americanverb (used with object)
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peruses,
present (3rd person singular)
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perused,
past participle, past
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perusing
present participle
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to read through with thoroughness or care.
Make sure you peruse the document before signing.
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to scan or browse: Visitors will be able to peruse artworks by young people across the state.
Sometimes I peruse the magazines near the cash register while waiting to check out.
Visitors will be able to peruse artworks by young people across the state.
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to read.
If romantic plots interest you, consider perusing her latest novel.
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to survey or examine in detail.
We had the opportunity to hear both sides and peruse the evidence.
verb
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to read or examine with care; study
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to browse or read through in a leisurely way
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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perusalnoun
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perusernoun
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preperuseverb (used with object)
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reperuseverb (used with object)
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perusableadjective
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quasi-perusableadjective
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unperusableadjective
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unperusedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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perusesimple
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perusessimple
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have perusedperfect
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has perusedperfect
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am perusingprogressive
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are perusingprogressive
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is perusingprogressive
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have been perusingperfect progressive
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has been perusingperfect progressive
Past
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perusedsimple
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had perusedperfect
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was perusingprogressive
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were perusingprogressive
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had been perusingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of peruse
First recorded in 1470–80 in the sense “use up, go through”; first recorded in 1525–35 for current senses; per- + use
Explanation
Traditionally, peruse has meant to read or examine something carefully. But informally, it can have the opposite meaning, to read something casually and quickly. To understand the two meanings, think about the way people like to talk about doing things thoroughly, even when they aren't. If you are visiting a library or a bookstore, you might find yourself perusing the shelves. Synonyms are browse and skim. Peruse is from Middle English perusen "to use up," from the Latin prefix per- "thoroughly" plus Middle English usen "to use."
Vocabulary lists containing peruse
Romeo and Juliet
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The Hunger Games
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He is unlikely to donate a volume to the library at this early stage of his premiership, but if he finds time to peruse the shelves, he will find an eclectic collection.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Artificial intelligence over time can peruse the data, find patterns and change the interpretation and action layers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
If I’m traveling and visiting family, I’ll peruse their library and borrow something that seems interesting.
From Slate ● Mar. 8, 2026
The menu is extensive, so take a few minutes to peruse before ordering.
From Salon ● Jan. 13, 2026
It took only a few seconds to peruse my limited options.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
My wife peruses L.A. condo listings frequently and the two of us have periodically gone with a Los Angeles real-estate agent to see new listings.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 30, 2025
The 17-year-old from Manchester enjoys deciphering the messages behind plates - phrases like YOU 105T are popular - and peruses Facebook groups where different combinations are shared.
From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2025
Anyone who peruses Reddit regularly can’t miss the bots: As one user commented recently, “Pay attention to a lot of the new posts—they all start off the same. ‘
From Slate ● Dec. 27, 2024
Clausen, 35, peruses auctions, estate sales and other dealers’ websites in search of antique maps, manuscripts and pivotal historical documents that have been forgotten or overlooked — sometimes for decades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2023
She eases over to the order window as a tall girl with a folding camping chair slung over her shoulder peruses the menu.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
It’s meant to be picked up, perused and admired.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
Along Hollywood Boulevard on Tuesday afternoon, Canadian tourist Harpreet Kaur, 24, perused shops with her cousins and uncle in tow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2025
Delaware County voter Janelle Tucker, 53, said as she perused the floral section of a Kroger on Tuesday that she can’t predict how Ohio will vote this fall.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 11, 2024
"The courts have perused hundreds of pages of documents to reach this decision. For Parliament simply to say the facts are different would be constitutionally really quite extraordinary."
From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2023
I take it you have perused the laws of your state?
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
“We like perusing and we like looking at flights sometimes.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
When I die, I will not feel like the time spent perusing Amazon search results was important to my story.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
Preventing anyone with an internet connection from perusing mug shots is a welcome step, said Dennis Gaddy, who lobbied for the Second Chance Act before its 2020 passage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
With no formal engineering background, Richardson began collecting information online, perusing old manuals, learning through trial and error.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026
I know I shouldn’t snoop, but curiosity quickly overrides my conscience as it often does—snoop-control issues—and I’m bending down and randomly perusing some of the papers on the floor: mostly old letters.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
